ML66418901

Age

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Sex

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Observation details

Nova Scotia Birds Vol. 40 No. 3 The season's most startling anatid, although its status remains debatable, was a BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK of the northern subspecies at Pointe d'Eglise, Digby Co. Birders learned about it at the beginning of July, but according to Gustave Thibodeau it had frequented his backyard pond for nine weeks - i.e., since late April. Although this timing is in keeping with migratory movements of these birds in mid-April, and although the bird was wary at first (only later coming to be fed with wild Black Ducks on the Thibodeaus' back lawn), the species is widely kept in waterfowl collections. This is especially true of the northern race per Jean Delacour's "Waterfowl of the World". A full account, photo, and assessment of origin will be in the next issue. Nova Scotia Birds Vol. 40 No. 4 The most unusual (and well-documented) bird among the waterfowl was the single adult BLACK-BEILIED WHISTLING DUCK, mentioned in the last issue. It has been seen through July and beyond at Church Pt., Digby Co. by a wide variety of observers. The following is from [lan McLaren]. "Here is what we've discovered about the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck that arrived at Church Pt., Digby Co., in late April and at time of writing is still in the area. The last issue noted that some of these birds migrate into the s.e. US in April and that it was wary at first, later coming with wild Am Black Ducks for handouts at a pond behind the Gustave Thibodeau residence. Unlike the Fulvous Whistling-Duck, which appeared in flocks in New Brunswick in 1961, and in Nova Scotia in 1976 (see Tufis), the Black-bellied has not had a long history of wandering. However, the situation may be changing. Until recent years, the bird was little known beyond its breeding range in Arizona and Texas and since 1993 in Arkansas. More recently it has begun to breed and spread rapidly in Florida. In the last few years there have been records of wandering birds in such places as Pennsylvania, Iowa, Virginia, W. Virginia, and Nevada. More pertinently, a flock of l0 in Quebec in early June 93 was considered of indeterminate origin in David's (1996) annotated checklist of Quebec birds. However, flocks of nine in June and July 1993 in n. Ontario and 12 in s. Ontario late May 1994 have been accepted as natural vagrants by the Ontario Checklist cornrrrittee (Ron Pittiway, pers. conm). This spring, there has been a published mention of birds in Iowa and Wisconsin, and Internet inquiries indicate that one appeared for the first time in Georgia earlier this summer. Of course, the alternative is that our Nova Scotia bird was an escapee from a waterfowl collection. The bird Vilas of the expected northern race; South American birds would clearly be escapees. The fact that the bird became somewhat tame may not mitigate against its natural origin. Brush Freeman, of the Texas Bird Records Cornrrrittee, emailed that Texas birds are often approachable to within 8-10m, and readily adapt to handouts. Inquiries suggest that none are kept in Nova Scotia and a "leaky" waterfowl collection on Grand Manan 1, NB, infamous source of previous waterfowl exotics, has apparently closed down (B. Dalzell, pers. conm). A wider search of web sources indicates that the bird is indeed widespread in North American waterfowl collections, although said to need shelter in the coldest months even in Missouri. None of a dozen or so web-listed wildfowl suppliers included it in their offerings. One correspondent indicated that escapees are usually yOl.mg birds not yet pinioned. One young bird twned up recently in Vancouver. Ours was an adult. So, although a captive origin cannot be excluded, the evidence suggests that this bird could well have arrived here from wild stock Although Florida birds are pushing northward, the recent Midwestern U.S. occurrences suggest that southwestern birds have wandered more extensively. One might speculate that our bird was one of those."

Technical information

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MG5200 series

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1739 pixels x 1164 pixels

Original file size

1.02 MB